This World Photography Day, see the city from the eyes of some of its chroniclers
The laughter of kids around the corner, the sound of hawkers at Causeway, the overpowering feeling of heavy-duty detergents at Dhobi Ghat or the sight of the rickety signage above your favourite Irani café. If you’re missing the sights of Mumbai, these city chroniclers on Instagram will give you a slice of it at home.
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All in a frame
"The first thing that strikes anybody who lands in the city is the smell of the sea and its distinct saltiness," says photographer Gopal MS, whose photobook Matsyagandha maps low tides and distinct smells from the island city. His frames translate the aroma of ground spices in Chinchpokli, and the stench of Malad creek and decaying flowers at Dadar’s phool market. "If you travel on a crowded train, you don’t even need to look at signboards to figure out what station you’ve crossed. The smell tells you exactly where you are," he concludes.
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Gopal MS
Typecast Bombay
The Bombay Type Project, run by sisters Aditi and Brinda Khandelwal, documents old fonts and typography found on city architecture. What started off with the objective of exploring Mumbai, turned into a visual adventure. "One summer morning in 2015, we set out with a borrowed DSLR and a scooter on an expedition to hunt for old typography on building facades. We’d planned to cover a seemingly modest area — Colaba to Fort. Boy, were we mistaken! Each lane led to another, and we found numerous neglected treasures tucked away in obscure gallis which snowballed into this visual documentation. This passion project lies at the confluence of our interests in architecture, photography and typography," says Aditi.
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Aditi (right) and Brinda Khandelwal
Inducing nostalgia
If you take joy in photographs that document the city in its everydayness, you’d love city-based chronicler, Linesh Desai’s works. From raw portraits that celebrate the people in their natural element to 15-second videos that build a sense of nostalgia about how the city bustled with energy before the lockdown, every frame will have you double-tapping rhythmically thanks to its sheer beauty and design.
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Linesh Desai
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